Research Question:What is the zero tolerance policy and what are the pro's and con's of using it? Contributed by: Abby Vaughn
Editorial Essay This essay supplies the reader with a real life situation in which a school board is considering applying the zero tolerance policy to their school. It discusses accepting the policy toward having weapons on school grounds. The school's super intendent, Arthur Campbell, speaks on the policy and that he plans to adopt the policy on March 8th after a meeting with the committee. The policy hasn't been taken into consideration because of any dangerous acts in the school but simply because Attorney General, Jeffrey Pine, requested that schools throughout the state take it into consideration against weapons. Campbell made a point to say that if the policy is to be adopted in the school he expects all faculty to use "common sense, discretion and judgment." He gives an example of a young boy who's mother packed a knife so he could peel his apple. He states that the child should not punished for that and the faculty should use common sense knowing that.
This editorial provided me with insight directly from a source. The school being discussed is South Kingstown, and having that be close to where I've been raised gives me a better idea of putting the zero tolerance policy in reality. Being able to read direct quotes from Arthur Campbell and the way that he views the policy along with how he speaks about putting it into effect at his school, benefits me by connecting it all to real life situations and being able to put a picture to it gives me a better understanding. After reading several articles, this is the first one I have read that agrees with my views along with students being effected by the policies' views. Campbell stays real and direct in his quotes and his views of using common sense in some situations helps me see that not all admin. see the rules of this policy to be the same.
REFERENCE:
HEFFNER Journal-Bulletin Staff Writer, S. (1994, February 10). Board considers stringent policy against weapons at town schools *The policy, intended to establish "zero tolerance for violence" in the schools, would automatically suspend and possibly expel an... Providence Journal, D-01.
New York Times Article
The article found in the New York Times informed the reader on the students point of view and the affects the zero tolerancy policy has on them. It spoke about how in certain situations the policy postivitely affects the schools but it also spoke about how it causes many suspensions/explusions that should have been mearly a slap on the hand. The article often goes back to the example of the Columbine massacure and how the school, students, and facutly were not prepared for the devistation and loss, so with keeping that in mind, the policy seems to stay in effect without any revisions being made and the students are not only personally being hurt by this but it's taking a toll on their innocent reputations as well.
I found this article to be helpful in a few ways. The majority of the article is seen from the students point of view and supplies several quotes to give me a better understanding of how its affecting them. It also gives examples of how simple misunderstandings are being overanalyzed and the innocent students are being severly punished inside and outside of school. On the other hand, the article also gives examples of situations in school that should be taken into serious consideration and thought and in the end, because of the zero tolerance policy, the school and the people within the school may have been saved from a devistation. REFERENCE:
Leland, John. (2001). Zero Tolerance Changes Life At On School. New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2008, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3D7123EF93BA35757C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&&scp=5&sq=Zero%20Tolerance%20policy%20in%20Schools&st=cse Educational Leadership or The Science Teacher
The beginning of this report focuses mainly on the negative parts of the zero tolerance policy. It shows that the author does not agree with many aspects of the policy by repeating that first grades are treated like twelveth graders and that "one-size-fits-all." The author goes on with situations where a young child would do something minor and have no intention of hurting anyone but are severely punished because of the policy. The report goes on to say how children are responding negatively to this policy and they do understand the difference between being treated equally and being treated fairly. The ABA journal story stated that children are not going to respect teachers who can't appreciate the difference between a plastic knife and a switch-blade. It also speaks about the manadatory punishments and alternatives to zero tolerance. It is shown that the author strongly disagrees with the way the policy is being influenced in the schools and that students should not be treated as adults when they make an innocent mistake. It concludes by saying that although the community and the schools benefit from the policy by keeping everyone safe and many parents would want their own children to be disciplined that way, people tend to lose their common sense in many situations, hurting the innocent.
This report is very benefical to me when I am discussing the pro's and con's of the zero tolerance policy. The report is mainly against the policy because of common sense being missing and children of all ages are being punished the same way, no matter the mistake or crime being committed. It gave me a better insight on more negative sides to it, coming from a high source. Also, there were several stories that were supplied, talking about children who make an honest mistake and were severely punished to the point where they will remember for the rest of their lives. Those stories will help me explain to the class and capture the audiences attention when I am talking about the con's of the zero tolerance policy.
ERIC Digest The ERIC Digest article I found was very informative about the basics of the zero tolerance policy. It outlined all the major topics dealing with the policy and how it is used and reacted to within the schools. It gave a broad definition of the policy, along with when it was established, how it was used in schools at first and when it started to pick up and pass on. The article informed the reader on why the policies were established, and what was happening in the schools that caused them to take such drastic rules and enforce them to the fullest. The reader also was informed on the up to date policies, such as are they fulfilling their purpose and who, if anyone, is criticizing the policy. The article provided a list of what elements made the policy effective in schools, and informed the reader about how schools treat disabled students differently and what they must go through in order to take action to a disciplinary issue with them.
This article will benefit me with my presentation because it provided all the background information that I need to get a head start. To have a definition of the zero tolerance policy, I am able to understand the aspects of it and how it is enforced. Another part of this article that will benefit me is knowing the elements that make it effective. To be able to see how the policy was formed and what teachers and faculty must abide by in order to have the policy work in their favor helps me grasp a better understanding of what it is the congress is looking for and what goal they are trying to reach dealing with school discipline. Overall, I will benefit from reading this article because it gives me a great foundation for my presentation and outlines the major points to help me understand the most important aspects of the policy.
REFERENCE:
McAndrews, Tobin. (2001). Zero Tolerance Polices. ERIC Digest, ED451579, (146), 1-6. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from http://eric.uoregon.edu
CQ Researcher This report was extensive and filled with valuable information, not only on the zero tolerance policy, but also on discipline in schools in general. It covered material from how and why zero tolerance policies were established, to the history of violence in schools and mainly focused on is if the policies are fair. The report touches on many different topics dealing with the zero tolerance policy. For instance, has the policy made schools safer? Is racism responsible for high suspension rates among minorities? Should students have more legal rights in discipline cases? It also gives background information on the rise of zero tolerance and how schools were before the policy and now after.
After reading the report there are several different topics that help me further my research and broaden my knowledge about certain topics I hadn't thought about. The background and timeline that is given in the report helps understand when and why the policy was made and how schools in the 1960's differ so much from today. This report focused mainly on the ideas and factual evidence rather than personal opinion, which I ultimately benefit from so my opinion isn't being influenced and isn't one-sided but the audience and I can make up our own opinions by all the facts given. One con of the zero tolerance policy that stuck out in this report was that more students are being suspended and being suspended once inscrease the risk of dropping out of school by three times. It is upsetting to think of children who were suspended because of the policy when in reality they should have just been slapped on the hand and now they may be considering dropping out all together. I will take all of these facts and stories into consideration when discussing the zero tolerance policy with my fellow classmates.
Contributed by: Abby Vaughn
Editorial Essay
This essay supplies the reader with a real life situation in which a school board is considering applying the zero tolerance policy to their school. It discusses accepting the policy toward having weapons on school grounds. The school's super intendent, Arthur Campbell, speaks on the policy and that he plans to adopt the policy on March 8th after a meeting with the committee. The policy hasn't been taken into consideration because of any dangerous acts in the school but simply because Attorney General, Jeffrey Pine, requested that schools throughout the state take it into consideration against weapons. Campbell made a point to say that if the policy is to be adopted in the school he expects all faculty to use "common sense, discretion and judgment." He gives an example of a young boy who's mother packed a knife so he could peel his apple. He states that the child should not punished for that and the faculty should use common sense knowing that.
This editorial provided me with insight directly from a source. The school being discussed is South Kingstown, and having that be close to where I've been raised gives me a better idea of putting the zero tolerance policy in reality. Being able to read direct quotes from Arthur Campbell and the way that he views the policy along with how he speaks about putting it into effect at his school, benefits me by connecting it all to real life situations and being able to put a picture to it gives me a better understanding. After reading several articles, this is the first one I have read that agrees with my views along with students being effected by the policies' views. Campbell stays real and direct in his quotes and his views of using common sense in some situations helps me see that not all admin. see the rules of this policy to be the same.
REFERENCE:
HEFFNER Journal-Bulletin Staff Writer, S. (1994, February 10). Board considers stringent policy against weapons at town schools *The policy, intended to establish "zero tolerance for violence" in the schools, would automatically suspend and possibly expel an... Providence Journal, D-01.
New York Times Article
The article found in the New York Times informed the reader on the students point of view and the affects the zero tolerancy policy has on them. It spoke about how in certain situations the policy postivitely affects the schools but it also spoke about how it causes many suspensions/explusions that should have been mearly a slap on the hand. The article often goes back to the example of the Columbine massacure and how the school, students, and facutly were not prepared for the devistation and loss, so with keeping that in mind, the policy seems to stay in effect without any revisions being made and the students are not only personally being hurt by this but it's taking a toll on their innocent reputations as well.
I found this article to be helpful in a few ways. The majority of the article is seen from the students point of view and supplies several quotes to give me a better understanding of how its affecting them. It also gives examples of how simple misunderstandings are being overanalyzed and the innocent students are being severly punished inside and outside of school. On the other hand, the article also gives examples of situations in school that should be taken into serious consideration and thought and in the end, because of the zero tolerance policy, the school and the people within the school may have been saved from a devistation.
REFERENCE:
Leland, John. (2001). Zero Tolerance Changes Life At On School. New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2008, from
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3D7123EF93BA35757C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&&scp=5&sq=Zero%20Tolerance%20policy%20in%20Schools&st=cse
Educational Leadership or The Science Teacher
The beginning of this report focuses mainly on the negative parts of the zero tolerance policy. It shows that the author does not agree with many aspects of the policy by repeating that first grades are treated like twelveth graders and that "one-size-fits-all." The author goes on with situations where a young child would do something minor and have no intention of hurting anyone but are severely punished because of the policy. The report goes on to say how children are responding negatively to this policy and they do understand the difference between being treated equally and being treated fairly. The ABA journal story stated that children are not going to respect teachers who can't appreciate the difference between a plastic knife and a switch-blade. It also speaks about the manadatory punishments and alternatives to zero tolerance. It is shown that the author strongly disagrees with the way the policy is being influenced in the schools and that students should not be treated as adults when they make an innocent mistake. It concludes by saying that although the community and the schools benefit from the policy by keeping everyone safe and many parents would want their own children to be disciplined that way, people tend to lose their common sense in many situations, hurting the innocent.
This report is very benefical to me when I am discussing the pro's and con's of the zero tolerance policy. The report is mainly against the policy because of common sense being missing and children of all ages are being punished the same way, no matter the mistake or crime being committed. It gave me a better insight on more negative sides to it, coming from a high source. Also, there were several stories that were supplied, talking about children who make an honest mistake and were severely punished to the point where they will remember for the rest of their lives. Those stories will help me explain to the class and capture the audiences attention when I am talking about the con's of the zero tolerance policy.
REFERENCE:
American Bar Association. (2006). Zero tolerance policy. ABA Juvenile Justice Policies.
http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/zerotolreport.html.
ERIC Digest
The ERIC Digest article I found was very informative about the basics of the zero tolerance policy. It outlined all the major topics dealing with the policy and how it is used and reacted to within the schools. It gave a broad definition of the policy, along with when it was established, how it was used in schools at first and when it started to pick up and pass on. The article informed the reader on why the policies were established, and what was happening in the schools that caused them to take such drastic rules and enforce them to the fullest. The reader also was informed on the up to date policies, such as are they fulfilling their purpose and who, if anyone, is criticizing the policy. The article provided a list of what elements made the policy effective in schools, and informed the reader about how schools treat disabled students differently and what they must go through in order to take action to a disciplinary issue with them.
This article will benefit me with my presentation because it provided all the background information that I need to get a head start. To have a definition of the zero tolerance policy, I am able to understand the aspects of it and how it is enforced. Another part of this article that will benefit me is knowing the elements that make it effective. To be able to see how the policy was formed and what teachers and faculty must abide by in order to have the policy work in their favor helps me grasp a better understanding of what it is the congress is looking for and what goal they are trying to reach dealing with school discipline. Overall, I will benefit from reading this article because it gives me a great foundation for my presentation and outlines the major points to help me understand the most important aspects of the policy.
REFERENCE:
McAndrews, Tobin. (2001). Zero Tolerance Polices. ERIC Digest, ED451579, (146), 1-6. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from http://eric.uoregon.edu
CQ Researcher
This report was extensive and filled with valuable information, not only on the zero tolerance policy, but also on discipline in schools in general. It covered material from how and why zero tolerance policies were established, to the history of violence in schools and mainly focused on is if the policies are fair. The report touches on many different topics dealing with the zero tolerance policy. For instance, has the policy made schools safer? Is racism responsible for high suspension rates among minorities? Should students have more legal rights in discipline cases? It also gives background information on the rise of zero tolerance and how schools were before the policy and now after.
After reading the report there are several different topics that help me further my research and broaden my knowledge about certain topics I hadn't thought about. The background and timeline that is given in the report helps understand when and why the policy was made and how schools in the 1960's differ so much from today. This report focused mainly on the ideas and factual evidence rather than personal opinion, which I ultimately benefit from so my opinion isn't being influenced and isn't one-sided but the audience and I can make up our own opinions by all the facts given. One con of the zero tolerance policy that stuck out in this report was that more students are being suspended and being suspended once inscrease the risk of dropping out of school by three times. It is upsetting to think of children who were suspended because of the policy when in reality they should have just been slapped on the hand and now they may be considering dropping out all together. I will take all of these facts and stories into consideration when discussing the zero tolerance policy with my fellow classmates.
REFERENCE:
Billitteri, Thomas J. (2008). Discipline in Schools. CQ Researcher, 18 (7), 1-24. Retrieved November 19, 2008, from
http://0-library.cqpress.com.helin.uri.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2008021500&type=hitlist&num=8
EDC 102 F08 Fnl Proj Eval - Abby V